by Christine Cheng, B.Sc., CNPA, B.Sc. (Pharm)
Improving our general health is always in the back of our minds. There are so many things that we can do: exercise on a regular basis, improve our diets, and maybe even start a supplement. With so many supplements to choose from, where is a good place to start?
If you’re looking for a supplement that will give you the most bang for your buck, consider taking a probiotic. Probiotics are the “good bacteria” found in the intestine that can exert positive health benefits. Common probiotic microorganisms that have been studied include the bacteria Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, L. Reuteri, bifidobacteria, and strains of L. casei or L. acidophilus. The probiotic yeast, Saccharomyces boulardii has also been studied for its medicinal use. Prebiotics are substances that are fermented by gut bacteria to create a more acidic environment which can help suppress the growth of harmful bacteria. Common examples include inulin, psyllium fibre, lactulose, fructose, oligosaccharides and germinated barley extracts.
There are many proven benefits of probiotics. Most commonly, they are used to prevent or reduce the duration or symptoms of diarrhea associated with the use of antibiotics. For those who are lactose intolerant, they can help digest lactose and thus reduce the symptoms related to lactose intolerance. Probiotics have also been found to decrease abdominal pain or discomfort associated with Irritable Bowel Syndrome as well as reducing the frequency of relapse of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (i.e., Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis). Use of probiotics have also been associated with a reduction in incidence and duration of respiratory tract infections as well as reducing the incidence of urinary tract infections. More recent findings that are still under investigation are the association between gut bacteria and being overweight and the associated health issues such as metabolic syndrome and diabetes mellitus.
Many people may wonder what the difference is between eating probiotic-containing yogurt and taking a supplement. Basically, as long as the probiotic concentration in the product is at least between 106-109 cfu/g food, the probiotic-containing yogurt products have been shown to have many of the benefits listed above. However, one should consider the ease of carrying a few capsules that can be carried without refrigeration versus the difficulty of carrying yogurt in such a way as to keep the product below 8degC to ensure its potency is maintained.
As mentioned above, ingestion of a certain number of microbes is required in order to experience the benefits of the probiotic. Thus, one should look for a product that has at least 106-109 cfu (colony forming units). Furthermore, different strains of bacteria have been proven to have different benefits, thus a product that contains multiple strains may confer more overall benefits than a single-strain product. Another feature to look for is enteric coating as this can protect strains that are susceptible to being killed by the low pH (i.e., acidity) in our stomachs by not releasing the good bacteria until the capsule reaches the higher pH (i.e., more basic) environment in the small intestine.
Regardless of which product you choose, check the label to see what the manufacturer’s storage recommendations are. There are some products made such that the beneficial bacteria are enrobed to help it maintain its potency at room temperature. Other products have an extremely high cfu count such that they can survive months out of the fridge without loss of efficacy. If you are on an antibiotic, continue taking your probiotic, but space it apart from the antibiotic by at least 2 hours.
As always, consider talking to your doctor or pharmacist before initiating any natural health product to ensure you are choosing the right product.
Christine Cheng is a pharmacist with training in natural medicine at Pharmasave Downtown Cloverdale and can be reached HERE or ChristineCheng[at]CloverdalePharmasave[dot]com
